Crossrail, "the largest infrastructure project in Europe, costing more, for example, than the London Olympics", has been slowly winding it's way beneath London for years. Getting access to the labyrinthine collection of underground tunnels and volumes, Rowan Moore of The Observer says that - despite the superficial furore surrounding it - this £5 billion undertaking will eventually be worth it: alongside the tunnels and tracks will be three million square feet ("or about six Gherkins") of commercial development, and one million square feet of 'public realm'.
When it is completed, almost no one will care greatly whether it is value for money, unless something goes badly wrong. As with the Olympics, the sheer impressive fact of its existence will cause sceptics to forget their doubts.
You can read the full article here. You can also read about Paddington Crossrail Station here.
